My Ace Night in the Ditch - Ace London, Shoreditch

I consider myself to be relatively on trend. A busy life of travel might keep me out of the heart of the barfly scene, where all the real social moving and shaking goes on, but I'm urban modern at heart and have yet to put my Vogue into the drawer or hang up my party heels.

Every now and again, you get a double dose of cool that makes you realise how far behind you might have dropped but that simultaneously fast tracks you back 'du jour'. Mine happened this week in London. 

My first venture, long overdue, to the rapidly  up and coming hotspot of Shoreditch. My second quick hit happened as soon as I stepped inside the coolest spot in the Ditch of all, The Ace Hotel. 

Where do I start? The door men are adorable. Top hats are replaced by woolly beanies and bow ties and crisp shirts are swapped for grey sweaters and skinny jeans. 

Bicycles hang from the ceiling at reception, lobby seating is communal and set up for wireless living, Mac Book, of course. Music booms loud, lip reading is needed to get you through check in, and reception doubles as a very cool store where you can take your pick from all the very cool things you will find in the hotel and recreate the experience at home.

You escape the noise upstairs. Elevators lead to a warehouse feel of corridors and stairwells. Rooms are crisp and clean loft-style escapes. Hues of blue, on grey and concrete, surrounded with a cornucopia of retro wonders from LP records, tin mugs, radios and record players. A feel of Scandinavia design, in a Manhattan apartment. It's outstanding.

What do you get for your stay and your money? Space, for one, a plus for London at the best of times, optimised with low level beds and high ceilings. Great booze - forget mini sized mini bars, this is stocked to the straps with old school chocolate and gourmet treats and quarter bottle sized spirits. Superb showering, with jumbo sized products from the uber cool ruby .... ( soon to be in my own wet room, I loved these so much).

Downstairs you get ridiculously great cocktails in a super vibe bar. And lots of lounging. Time will fly, it's so laid back. And the people watching? One of the best.

Shuffle through to Hoi polloi (or enter through the flower shop from outside) and you get an outstanding dining experience that should be enjoyed even if you're not a resident. Dress down, in the up way. It's not formal, but it's very trendy, and the only thing more on point than the fashionista diners is the great food.

They say Shorditch is the Chelsea of the East. There's enough well styled, well famed restaurants and eateries to challenge them, maybe too many hipster cafés to meet the designer grades of Sloane, but they are marvellous nonetheless. I have no idea why I harboured a hesitancy to explore here sooner, but I'm an instant convert and will definitely be back to check off the many places that are quickly joining my must do-go-eat-drink list.

'Til next time, Pandora

A First Taste of Berlin

Berlin has been on my wish list of must-see places for some time so, when business opportunity knocked, I was on the first plane to uncover what all of the excitement was about.

This was a short trip, so tourism was not going to have much room on the agenda. But, first impressions count with me, so I would know if this was somewhere worth fussing over to come back and explore more.

I wasn't disappointed. Stereotypical German efficiency kicked in as soon as I landed, I'm really not sure I have ever had such a speedy disembark through immigration and into a taxi, anywhere else. 

The quick cab ride from Tegel airport into the city already had my eyes wide open. 

Berlin was so clean, late night traffic was non existent and I had a clear line of sight of so many iconic landmarks straight off the mark as I drove to Mitte.

My hotel, The Westin Grand, sat steps from the famous Brandenburg Gate. I kind of expected Checkpoint Charlie to have security and graffiti and show its history. But it didn't. Modernised and clean, quiet and overtaken by the stunning and very compelling architecture of the Gate. 

The same view could be seen from my hotel, 5 floors up from the Westin Grand. Itself a historic building, the glass dome that overlooks the lobby is a stunning centre piece and a marvel to look on as you sip cocktails in the bar. 

The hotel boasts a chunk of the Berlin Wall on his doorstep, a sign from times gone by, and an artefact you will find throughout the city.  

Service is efficient, perhaps at the compromise of friendly. Summer allows for al fresco drinks on a rooftop garden terrace but the standard of dining everywhere else, from room service to restaurant, is incredibly good.

Close by, my taste buds were tingled to extreme in Bocca de Bacco, a very stylish Italian I learned was a haunt for the A-list and had served heart throbs such as Clooney, Damond and Pattinson. 

I joined their dining joy, amazing food that exceeded even the temptation of the menu and I highly recommend if you are tourist trekking the neighbourhood over lunch or dinner.

This is a luxury shopping zone, so all your designer needs are more than catered for. I had a brief wander in Alexanderplatz, under the famous TV tower too, whee there was much more movement of tourism buses and camera clicking around. Mostly, it made me so very congnizant of the size of Berlin and the opportunity to uncover so much more.

My true desire is to dig into the back streets, see the urban art rise and the cool trendy bars and boutique hotels. And it won't be long before I do. My first taste of Berlin has left me hungry for much, much more.

'Til next time, Pandora

One Mal and His Dog...

I've stayed in my fair share of the Malmaison hotels, as well as a few of their stunning sister Hotel du Vin properties. They tick most of my must-have boxes, when it comes to finding my perfect stay away. Boutique chic, luxurious beds, a great cocktail menu, good food, a super shower experience, to name a few. But what you get as a great bonus at a Malmaison is the location. Every one of the dozen-strong portfolio is something special, a listed building full of heritage, cleverly refurbished with respect and homage to its local surroundings, but with an explosion of modern design styled up inside. 

And I love the quirk. Malmaison is not afraid to be a little bit cheeky, break the mould of the normal hotel experience. 
You'll find a wonderfully stocked mini bar, adult-only gourmet snacks that laugh in the face of your average Tobelerone and jumbo sized toiletries that ooze style and fragrance and get you figgy with it. Really.

They dare to be different, and dare they do. It was no surprise  to discover they open their doors to four legged guests, too. Dogs, it appears, are a Mal's best friend and, with one right on my doorstep at home, The Belfast Mal fast-tracked to the top of my getaway list. 

It's tough not to fall for a cute puppy, but their arrival at Malmaison is treated with just as much importance as the bill payer and just as personal. And the non-pet owners need not worry. Pets are not permitted in public areas, like bars or restaurants. 

This is a pawcation for room service and lots of private pooch pampering. A small charge to your room rate means the pooch checks in to his very own doggy bed and water bowl in your room and you have a city around you to walk and run, for all the outdoor fun you need before bedtime.

But a hotel break is about you, as well. You don't need to worry about pooch. He's snuggled in luxury and planning a per ant move. You need some Mal-dining...

Every Mal I visited impressed me at dinner, never more than this coincidental overlap at Valentines weekend in Belfast, where I indulged in an incredible 5-course Malentines menu for just £49. 

Velouté, oysters Rockerfeller, fresh salmon and an insanely magnificent chocolate dessert that I had re-routed to my room and scoffed in slumber.

Weekend breakfast-cum-brunch is another sure thing at the Mal. 

So good, in fact, you should visit to eat even if you have not stayed. They've added a great homemade granola to the continental table that I want to buy in bulk, for home, but their eggs Benni are always a perfect start to weekend relaxing, if you can pry yourself away to get active after you fuel up!

I can't not call out the exceptional service at The Belfast Mal, too. I've never had poor service at a Mal, but I've never had it just this fantastic at a Mal, neither. More than half the range has showered me in luxury at one time of another, across the UK, but it's my own home turf where I experienced the best of their best in friendliness, accommodation all-round guest hospitality. 

There's no bones about it, one Mal, one gal and her very pampered dog will very much be a repeat, if not a regular occurrence.

'Til next time, Pandora

Please Sir, Can I Have Some Morton?

I caught sight of the latest addition to the London boutique scene in summer and one glimpse of the stunning interior, I was swift to jump in to find a date to match my next hop to the city.

The Morton is the new, very chic, kid on the Bloomsbury block. Wonderfully located, a few steps to Russell Square and conveniently located to Euston Station, as well as Tube stop on its doorstep. 

It has fashioned its very being on the local history of the literary elite of early last century, The Bloomsbury Set, and pays homage to the likes of Virginia Wolf and Lytton Strachey in its decor and design. Room doors don mirror silhouettes of their floor namesake. Interiors share the same on cushions and stationery and there is a strong theme of literature on every shelf and wall print. Even the light fittings in the arrival hallway are made of literature classics.

Rooms are beautiful, as boutique hotel rooms should be. Eclectically decorated, warm and cosy with unexpectedly large bathrooms and ample 40" LCD flatscreens. Quality has not been spared, the right mix of retro to modern, perfectly appointed. 

The Library bar is the hub of the hotel. It's chic, beautifully designed to the Charleston style, and a wonderful oasis to escape the busy streets of a day in London. 

But is oddly quiet. Admittedly it's as a library should be, but the antithesis of what a hotel bar should be, for me.

I visited on arrival (the bar doubles as reception, in the basement), I popped down in the evening, I had breakfast the next morning. Each and every visit I almost felt the need to tiptoe, definitely whisper. There was a need for a little ambience music to break the silence, in favour of relaxation. 

My longest stop in the Library, as a result, was breakfast. It's wonderful. There is only a continental offering to choose from and it misses some luxe extras of eggs and salmon, or warm brioches but, what is there is beautifully presented and delicious.

Dining delight kind of stops and ends at breakfast, however. Unless you want a snack. There is no 'restaurant' as such in the hotel, a small menu offers sandwiches, cheese platters and the like, a choice that is exactly the same in the bar as in your room. It's a shortfall for the Morton, in my eyes, my Oliver Twist moment that left me wanting more, especially when it's rainy and cold outside. The style and chic of The Morton was made for exuberant and decadent cakes, comfort soups and stews, definitely would be great to have gourmet evenings for wine and cocktails. Instead I have cards of nearby restaurants, and the tiptoe challenge for a drink, if I feel the stealthy need.

Without this next level of decadence (decadence that is standard in most boutique hotels, certainly in London) it feels like gruel. Gruel served in luxury, yes, but gruel nonetheless, when compared to other great boutiques in the city like The Mandeville, The Ampersand or anything in the Doyle Collection. 

Alternative room options, apartment styled with kitchens, are available if you want to self cater and I recommend those if you don't want to wander and dine around town. I personally don't want to self cater in a boutique, and this fall-short made me feel I was in a hostel or B&B, not a full boutique experience in the city.

And with this gap, the hotel falls shy on the service. The Morton lacks flexibility and personality. Guest plans change but The Morton policy is immovable. I experienced it and have had similar feedback from more than a few others. On site, it's not a smiling hotel. It's a very efficiently run one, but maybe so efficient the guest experience is left to the guest, not interacted by staff.

New kids on new blocks need some time to grow into their own shoes. There is so much greatness going for the Morton that needs recognised, I'd love to see the gaps get filled and go back. Without them, the choice is too wide in London to miss out.

'Til next time, Pandora

The Vegas Bone Collector

I've shared a few blogs on my hesitations with Las Vegas and how, on my recent impromptu visit, I set on a mission to uncover a beauty in a city that totally failed to impress me.

And there lies the irony. No, I'm by no means saying I am a Vegas convert. I join the millions that fall in love with every show of the Bellagio fountains and, unsurprisingly, I have successfully sought out any true style and panache in the bar and restaurant scene. But, as the saying goes, you can put lipstick on a pig, it's still a pig. My Vegas wears lipstick. But it is still Vegas. 

But, back to the irony. I find it hard to openly admit that, amidst such consternation for Sin City, I would uncover possibly one of the best experiences of my life that, in the unlikely event that I have to return again to Vegas, I would go back in a heartbeat.

Forget the casinos, replica pyramids, roller coasters and remakes of gondola journeys through Venice. Hit the Boneyard.

It's off the Strip, in true Downtown Vegas. It calls itself a Neon Museum. 

But it's not a relic of history, it's a jawdroppingly, super cool walk up, down and around memory lane of the last century. In neon.

Casinos, hotels and bars before our time, already knocked down and forgotten. Not here. Iconic images and signs, you've seen in movies, saved and restored right here. Motels, the Glass Slipper, Wedding Chapels, The Sahara...everything is stacked up in this incredibly cool retro-fest, given a great guide lead narrative and you will not stop clicking your camera. It's mesmerising. 

We are all running so fast to keep up with the modern day, we are quick to put the past immediately behind us and embrace something new. But there is beauty in the old. 

This is the Vegas skyline of yesteryear. The famous haunts you've just spent your holiday dollars in, they might just land here in the near future. 

Check this out, support it's great ambition, and see some soul in Sin City.

'Til next time, Pandora

Photos: Pandora Skies
The Neon Museum http://www.neonmuseum.org